Message of Fr. Vazken Movsesian, parish priest of St. Andrew Armenian Church, Cupertino, from the Nakhagoch Newsletter. Electronic version archived on: SAIN-- St. Andrew Information Network -------------------------------------- c. 1989 Fr. Vazken Movsesian Address comments to: dervaz@sain.org -------------------------------------- LENT 1990 Priest's Message The Church vs. McDonalds The Issue: FAST FOODS No, I'm not about to take on the fast food giant in a battle of hamburgers and fries. No. The fast foods I'm talking about are those recommended by the Church during this season of fasting known as Lent. The 40 day period of Lent is a time of reflection and spiritual growth. The Church entered the fast food business long before Mc Donalds and Burger King. The prescription is easy: no animal products. Invariably, someone always asks me, "What about chicken or fish?" Last time I checked, chicken and fish belonged to the animal kingdom. Or "What about cheese and milk?" Well, for the time being these are products of animals. That's right, the Fast Food of the Church is clear and simple: NO ANIMAL PRODUCTS. The idea behind this practice is for us to discipline our bodies and thereby our minds in preparation for Easter and our lives as Christians in this lifetime. When hungry and asked to change stones into bread, Christ replies to Satan, "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of GodÉ" There's no better answer for us today as to why we practice dietary abstinence during Lent. In a life filled with abundance, we find it very difficult to abstain from pleasures. As a result, we lose control of our will and discipline becomes an archaic word. We live in a life of illusions. We believe life is always good, and when tragedy strikes, we are left with very little to fall back on. A quick glance at the evening news, with glimpses of tragedy throughout the world, emphasizes the point that there are no guarantees in life. Even as a Christian, we do not have any guarantees for a life without pain. In fact Christ promises just the opposite: To follow Him we are called to pick up our cross! However, Lent should not be taken as a negative experience. If fact, we must welcome Lent. It is a time to step out of our fast paced lives and examine our existence, to find those things pleasing to God, and direct our lives in those directions. Fasting is only one part of Lent. Prayer and worship complete this discipline. In our Church our fathers have named each of the Lenten Sundays with unique names and messages. The following is a list of Lenten Sundays along with the scriptural passage pointing to it's name: March 4 - Sunday of Expulsion (Mt. 5:17-48) March 11-Sunday of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:1-32) March 18-Sunday of the Steward (Luke 16:1-31) March 25-Sunday of the Judge (Luke 17:20-18:14) April 1-Sunday of Advent (Mt. 22:34-23-39) The Sunday Sermons will be on these Lenten topics. Also, please note the Lenten Schedule on the next page. This year we will be celebrating evening vespers with our Orthodox Sister Church. This is a special opportunity for you to understand your faith in a greater context and meet others who share your faith. Don't be turned off by Lent. Use it as a time of reflection and self improvement. On Easter Sunday, the join of the ultimate victory will fill your hearts so much more, after a period of discipline, prayer and worship.-------------------------------------- c. 1989 Fr. Vazken Movsesian Address comments to: dervaz@sain.org -------------------------------------- Fr. Vazken